This working paper empirically documents the size of (2) in the rural sector and investigates its consequences for rural development (agricultural growth, patterns of growth and rural poverty) for ten Latin American countries over 1985-2000. The paper provides econometric evidence suggesting...

This study analyses the opportunities and challenges presented by agricultural insurance instruments in the deepening of financial services in rural areas in Mesoamerica. It outlines a public policy framework to guide the decision-making process. It concludes that, in order to support the...

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on coordination failures, apply game theory to coordination issues within selected rural development projects in order to develop a set of guidelines to avoid and minimize coordination failures. The ultimate aim is to promote development...

This report presents the results of case studies on nontraditional agricultural exports in Petrolina-Juazeiro (northeastern Brazil), Ecuador, and Guatemala, analyzing the role of public policy in developing these products and the effects of nontraditional agriculture on the rural poor. The...

This study assesses poverty in the microenterprise sector in Latin America, presenting stylized facts on potential poverty risk factors at the household and individual levels. The goal of the paper is to describe the main trends in the region and the scope of the paper is limited to a...

In this technical note, the author discusses the implications of the rapid growth in agriculture in tropical Latin America and how new global and regional initiatives can support effective management of the ensuing environmental and social risks. The consequences of the tropical agricultural...

Luncheon speech by Anwar Ibrahim at the Inter-American Development Bank Forum on the Americas on December 7th, 2006

This document discusses the impact that global climate change has on food production both globally and in Latin America and the Caribbean. The author discusses environmental issues including extreme temperatures, water scarcity, flooding, and soil erosion. Using available information, this...

The purpose of this guideline is to provide suggestions on designing impact evaluations for agricultural projects, particularly projects that directly target farmers, and seek to improve agricultural production, productivity and profitability. Specific issues in evaluating agricultural projects...

The purpose of this paper is to identify best practices in the design and implementation of community-driven rural development (CDRD) projects in Central America with special emphasis on Nicaragua. The methodology used in this study is two-fold. First, a literature review of the academic...